Inspecting the Printed Panels
Downtown Sherbrooke with the hills in their autumn glory.
During our last visit to Sherbrooke, the exhibition team checked out the first samples of the proposed printing methods for our upcoming exhibition, Voices from the Engraver. Samples of one or two letters gave us a good idea of the final results, but on this trip, seeing the 8-foot-tall wooden panels with the full copy printed directly onto them was simply fantastic. Using a new process, staff of the exhibition fabrication department at the Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum have produced impressive results.
Finished display units awaiting artifacts.
No plywood fakes here – the table bases for the small “exhiblets” are hand built from solid walnut, matching the veneered panels.
The printer lays the ink directly onto the wood surface – no need for printed stickers or acrylic.
In the past, one would print onto a sticky film that would be applied to the panels. Now, however, it is possible to use the panels themselves as the final substrate, retaining the true surface. This process involves a form of ink-jet printer, but nothing like your desk-top HP! The panels are placed flat and the print head moves across them, laying down the ink – no possibility of paper jams, at least (or plywood jams…). A similar process is used for the metal panels, resembling engravers’ plates.
Artifacts such as engravers’ tools and plates will be displayed in these drafting table units.
A printing process similar to the one performed on the wood panels was used to lay down blank graphics onto aluminum sheets, imitating a printing plate.
Aluminum cubes will be used to number the artifacts in the drafting table display cases.
This very talented fabrication team really cares about quality and detail. The plywood panels are elegantly grained walnut veneer, but the bases of the drafting-table-style display units are custom built from solid walnut. They will hold not only artifacts but touch-panel monitors for our interactives and our hands-on guilloche (Spirograph®) drawing units.
Support frames to back the various artifacts where they are attached to the big panels.
Plans showing the final appearance of the guilloche interactive unit: three “Spirograph®” wheels, each with numerous choices of elliptical patterns. Fun.
The design of our ‘make your own bank note or stamp’ photo booth.
Finally taking design shape is our photo booth. Visitors sit for a photograph which is then processed to look like an engraving. To make their own stamp or bank note, they will then be given choices of backgrounds, frames and numbers to choose from plus they can enter a country or bank of their own choice. (Mordor, The Principality of Dave…) A stamp or bank note will be then be sent to their e-mail. Great fun, and we look forward to sharing with you the completed exhibition on our next adventure of exhibit planning.
We want to hear from you! Do you have an idea for a blog post you’d like to see?
Content type(s):
Blog posts
The Museum Blog
May 22, 2025
Speculating on the piggy bank
By: Graham Iddon
Ever since the first currencies allowed us to store value, we’ve needed a special place to store those shekels, drachmae and pennies. And the piggy bank—whether in pig form or not—has nearly always been there.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Arts,
Business,
Economics,
English language arts,
Financial literacy,
Geography,
Health,
History,
Math,
Science
Grade level(s):
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5
February 26, 2025
New acquisitions—2024 edition
Bank of Canada Museum’s acquisitions in 2024 highlight the relationships that shape the National Currency Collection.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
February 11, 2025
Money’s metaphors
Buck, broke, greenback, loonie, toonie, dough, flush, gravy train, born with a silver spoon in your mouth… No matter how common the expression for money, many of us haven’t the faintest idea where these terms come from.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
August 6, 2024
Treaties, money and art
The Bank of Canada Museum’s collection has a new addition: an artwork called Free Ride by Frank Shebageget. But why would a museum about the economy buy art?
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Arts,
History
July 16, 2024
Rai: big money
By: Graham Iddon
An item is said to have cultural value when it can be directly associated with the history, people, beliefs or rituals important to a society. It’s the same with a rai—its value can be greater depending upon who authorized it, who carved it and who subsequently owned it.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Economics,
Geography,
History
Grade level(s):
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5
April 18, 2024
Lessons from the Great Depression
By: Graham Iddon
What the stock market crash of 1929 did was starkly reveal the weaknesses of economic systems that had evolved from the unregulated capitalism of the late 19th century.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Financial literacy,
History
Grade level(s):
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5
March 25, 2024
Welcoming Newfoundland to Canada
By: David Bergeron
Newfoundland’s entry into Confederation marked the end of an era when Canadian provinces issued their own coins and paper money.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
December 19, 2023
New Acquisitions—2023 Edition
It’s that time of the year again—the wrap-up of the Bank of Canada Museum’s annual acquisition program. Here are a few highlights of the latest additions to the National Currency Collection.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
November 27, 2023
Mo’ money, mo’ questions
But what do you do with money once you have it? That’s for you to decide. A budget can really help. It will allow you to keep track of what you earn (income) and what you spend (expenses).
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Financial literacy
Grade level(s):
Grade 04,
Grade 05,
Grade 06,
Grade 07 / Secondary 1,
Grade 08 / Secondary 2,
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5
November 16, 2023
Understanding cryptocurrencies
By: Graham Iddon
Most of us are aware of them, but how much do we really understand about cryptocurrencies?
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Economics,
Financial literacy
Grade level(s):
Grade 08 / Secondary 2,
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5
September 12, 2023
A checkup on cheques
By: David Bergeron
With the continuing rise of e-transfers and electronic payments, people have been predicting the death of the humble cheque for decades. But it hasn’t happened yet.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
